free press

Geoffrey King leads the Internet and technology policy program at the Committee to Protect Journalists. Based in San Francisco, he protects the rights of journalists through advocacy, public education, and engagement with policymakers worldwide.

Prior to joining CPJ, King served as staff attorney with First Amendment Project, where he litigated matters involving the freedoms of speech, press, and petition. King is also a documentary photographer whose work has focused on human rights and social movements.

Morgan N. Weiland is an attorney and PhD candidate at Stanford University specializing in speech, press, and technology law and ethics. She proposed, helped design, and is in the process of completing the first joint degree program between Stanford Law School, where she received her JD in 2015, and Stanford's Communication Department, where she is a PhD candidate.

Imagine that you are participating in a protest on a university campus. The campus police ask everyone to leave. Some protestors refuse to move, and suddenly they are doused with pepper spray by campus police. You pull out your cell phone and start recording, asking protestors to describe what happened. After some editing, you post the video to YouTube.

In April of 2006, Wired News editor Kevin Poulsen sued the United States Customs and Border Patrol under the Freedom of Information Act. Poulsen won the case, and yesterday the trial court granted Poulsen $66,000 in attorney's fees.

Imagine that you are participating in a protest on a university campus. The campus police ask everyone to leave. Some protestors refuse to move, and suddenly they are doused with pepper spray by campus police. You pull out your cell phone and start recording, asking protestors to describe what happened. After some editing, you post the video to YouTube. But according to the two federal shield laws being considered by Congress, you likely would not qualify as a journalist—and consequently would not enjoy the right to protect your sources.